


A very peculiar afternoon

by Sir_William_Freewill



Series: A Little Girl, her Father, and the God of Mischief [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship, Bisexual Loki (Marvel), Canon Bisexual Character, First Meetings, Fluff, Gay Character, Gay Male Character, God(dess) of Mischief, Ice Cream, Little Girl - Freeform, Loki (Marvel) Gets a Hug, Loki gets an apprentice, Mischief, More than one actually, Scaring people, Single Parents, can we just use omnisexual please, or pansexual, spontaneous meetings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-30
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2019-04-30 08:58:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14493429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sir_William_Freewill/pseuds/Sir_William_Freewill
Summary: Bored out of his mind and seeking distraction from the same, Loki suddenly finds himself the babysitter of a seven-year-old girl. Entirely out of his comfort zone, the God of Mischief now has to entertain a human child for the entire afternoon. And how better to do so than declaring her his new apprentice and teaching her the fun parts of messing with adults?





	A very peculiar afternoon

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I am well aware there is a Doctor Who story waiting for an update, but I have to write as much of my Loki fics as I can, because I'm pretty sure Infinity War will destroy me (no spoilers please!)  
> So, here is what was supposed to be a short OS, now the longest thing I've ever written (that is not multiple chapters and has holes everywhere because my muse keeps jumping around) and there is way more ahead. At least if you want more. Please let me know :)
> 
> And now have fun!

"Hello," the cheerful, happy voice startled Loki out of his thoughts.

When he looked down, he saw a little human looking up at him. He could not help but smile back at the girl staring at him with big, grey eyes.

"And a good day to you, little Lady", he bowed slightly.

The girl giggled and hopped up and down, causing her chestnut brown braids to swing wildly around her freckled face.

Loki found her strangely endearing.

"May I ask", he began, hunching down in front of her, so she did not have to crane her neck up to look at him, "for your reason to grace me with your presence, milady?"

She stared at him, puzzled.

Then, "I'm May."

She held out her tiny hand.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss May", he smiled, gently took her hand, and pressed a kiss on its back, "my name is..."  
He was interrupted by a young man hurrying towards them.  
"May! Here you are! How often do I have to tell you not to wander off?"  
The girl's smile faltered.

"Sorry, daddy."

The man simply hugged May.

"You know I get worried when you just vanish, Em."  
"But it was so boring, daddy. All adults talking about boring stuff. And I never understand a thing."

He drew her close, then his attention drifted to Loki.  
For a moment he looked like he wanted to apologise, but he apparently saw something in the god's eyes that changed his mind.  
A smile lit up the man's face. It made the skin around his eyes crinkle.  
"Hello, I'm Dan. Darren Riggs. This is Maisie. What's your name?"  
While Loki was using an illusion that made his skin look tanned, his hair shorter and light, and his body slightly more muscular, so people would not recognise him immediately and ran away screaming, it had never crossed his mind that he should have made up a fake name.  
Actually, he had not imagined any situation in which he talked to humans who did not already know him long enough that there would be an exchange of names.  
"My name is Loki Laufeyson."  
May stared at him in awe.  
"L-" she seemed to struggle with his name, " Lucifer?"  
Now she was grinning again.  
"Lucifer?", Loki stared at the girl incredulously. Since he had ended up stranded on Midgard, he had been reading a lot of books and also found a rather entertaining television show, in which the character named this had been rather entertaining, ordering mortals around. He had also learned what was probably considered 'the basics' of these world's inhabitants' ridiculous cultures and beliefs, so he actually knew whom May was talking about.  
"I'm sorry", Dan apologised, looking rather mortified, "she always makes up these weird nicknames. I have no idea where she gets them from."  
Loki grinned.  
"I like it."  
Now Dan was staring at the god as if he was mad.  
Then the man noticed some other people in suits. They were gathering at the entrance of a nearby building.  
"Sorry, May, but we have to go back inside. The meeting will soon continue."  
The girl's face fell.  
"I don't want to go back to your stupid thingy."  
She scowled.  
Looked at Loki.  
Looked back at her father.  
Her face brightened.  
"Daddy, can I stay here? Lucifer can keep me company. We will have so much fun while you're at your boring meeting. Luci won't mind."  
"My dear, you can't just decide that. First, you have to ask Loki if he's got time. And then you need to ask him if he even wants to spend an afternoon with a little girl he has only known for a few minutes. No matter how lovely she is."  
The girl looked at Loki pleadingly.  
He swallowed. How had he, the God of Mischief, ended up in a situation like this? He had never had much to do with children. The Asgardians had always been worried what their offspring might learn, should they spend any time with him. And while he had spent some time with humans, none of them had ever been even nearly as young as May. He did not even know what to do with a child. But on the other hand...  
"My presence is not required at any specific place in the foreseeable future. Should your father consider your idea proper and safe, little Lady, it would be my pleasure to make your afternoon much more entertaining and free you from boring meetings for adults."  
He winked at May.  
"Why have you taken her with you to your job?", he asked Dan in an afterthought.  
The chestnut-haired man shifted uncomfortably.  
"Believe me, I'd rather not. But this meeting is important, and May's child minder called in sick. So, I didn't really have a choice, did I? Though, if you wouldn't mind, I'd be glad if she could stay with you for a while."  
He smiled, but his eyes were desperate.  
Loki was stunned. A year ago, he had tried to take over the world, wreaking havoc in this town. And now here he was again. Just this time in front of a man who practically begged him to care for a vulnerable, tiny, mortal being.  
"How..." he was gobsmacked, "how come you are willing to leave her in my care when you barely know me?"  
Dan smiled reassuringly, as if sensing Loki's underlying insecurity, and gestured around them.  
"How many people here do you see who don't frown at children? Nevertheless talk to them willingly. May has a brilliant intuition when it comes to people's hearts. I trust her judgement", he ended simply.  
"So", the girl had apparently gotten impatient while they had been talking, "you can go, daddy. Luci and I will have fun."  
Both men laughed.  
Dan ruffled her hair, then turned to Loki.  
"It shouldn't take longer than two hours."  
He kissed his daughter and turned away.  
"Oh, and, Loki?"  
"Yes?"  
Dan glanced back over his shoulder and gave him a startling, genuine smile.  
"Thank you."  
Then he was gone.  
Loki decided that this man was quite weird. And handsome. And generally, definitely way too trusting. Had nobody ever told Darren that you did not just leave your child with a mere stranger? Aside from the fact that he would most likely drag May away screaming should he find out who Loki really was and what he had done.  
He shook his head, pushing those thoughts away.  
"Now", he smirked at the girl, "what do you propose we shall do, little Lady?"  
May laughed delightedly. Then she flung her arms around his waist.  
Loki was stiff for a moment. Without any warning beforehand, she had caught him entirely off guard. May did not seem to mind, because she just kept hugging him. So, he finally put one arm around her shoulders, stroking her hair with his other. She sighed and shuffled closer, pressing her face into his shirt.  
Loki closed his eyes, determined to simply enjoy this moment. The trust she placed in him amazed Loki. It was entirely unfamiliar to him. But one thing he knew. It felt nice. He was not used to other people's touch either, but her realised that he deeply enjoyed it.  
He inhaled slowly. Took in the smell of human vehicles mixed with food and flowers. He could hear cars in the distance and people talking. Some birds sang in the trees around them, leaves rustling in the slight breeze.  
Loki felt the sun warming his face and relaxed. He exhaled deeply. With this girl as his company, Midgard might not be as much of a hell as he had first thought. Well, May had named him Lucifer, so he might be destined to enjoy hell. Though he knew from experience, that he most certainly did not consider Helheim an enjoyable place.  
It was nice, having a small, innocent, fragile creature pressed up against him and trust him enough to happily and willingly spend time with him. He should probably savour this feeling. It would not take her and her father forever to realise what a monster...  
No! He would not allow his thoughts to go there now. It was not the line of thought to go down while he wanted to enjoy a nice afternoon with this child.  
This child that now effectively pulled him out of his thoughts again.  
May had suddenly jumped backwards and grinned.  
"Can we get ice cream, Luci?"  
He furrowed his eyebrows.  
"What is this 'ice cream'?"  
That had her stare at him in shock.  
"You don't know ice cream? How can you not know ice cream?"  
Her face turned determined. She grabbed his hand and started to pull him further into the park.  
She stopped in front of a weird vehicle. One part looked like what humans called a bicycle. The other part, however, had two more wheels with a big case on them. Under a glass lid were several little containers, containing what he supposed was May's ice cream. On the metal case's side was a big, colourful print that said 'Luigi's Ice Cream'.  
"Hello", the vendor greeted with a broad smile, "what can I do for you?"  
Loki turned to May, completely out of his depth.  
"There is more than one ice cream?"  
The girl stared at him in shock for a moment, then started giggling again.  
"Of course! How could there be just one?"  
Luigi stared at both of them confused. Loki realised that, with a child around, he probably should not try the man's patience. Or let the mortal try his.  
He bowed slightly towards May.  
"In that case, little Lady, I bow to your wisdom and exceeding experience. You may choose which I shall try."  
The girl laughed and delightedly clapped her hands. She turned her attention towards Luigi and his various kinds of ice cream.  
The vendor gave her another smile, "Now, what can I get you and your dad?"  
May stared at him, then looked around in confusion. She was probably searching for her father.  
Loki laughed.  
"I am not her father. I am merely looking after her for the day."  
Luigi's face flushed in embarrassment.  
"I'm sorry", he swallowed, collecting himself.  
"Anyway, which flavours would you like?"  
May inspected the different containers, considering.  
"Okay. I'd like two scoops, strawberry and peach. And for Luci it'll be lemon and stracciatella. In cones, please."  
"Just a second, please."  
Highly curious, Loki watched as Luigi prepared their order.  
Then it occurred to him that he would be expected to pay. This would not be a problem though. He had gotten quite an amount of these 'dollars' and if necessary, he could always talk himself out of anything or just use an illusion. Which he probably should not do. There were a lot of other ways to teach May some mischief. And he did not care about this pathetic human paper money.  
He pushed a hand into his trouser pocket and took out a few of these so called 'dollar bills'.  
Once he had paid and they had both gotten their cones, May insisted they sat down on a bench under a tree.  
He observed her for a clue on how to eat this ice cream.  
Then he tentatively licked it.  
The ice cream was good. It was different from anything he had ever had. Weird, but most definitely good. Loki really liked the cold smoothness of this ice cream. The scoop was slightly bitter, but mainly sour. Still, it was somehow sweet as well. It was especially good for a human invention. He supposed he could get very fond of this food. It really was amazing, May had been right.  
The girl grinned at him.  
"I knew you'd like it. Everybody loves ice cream."  
He fondly smiled at her. Somehow this tiny human being had effortlessly brightened his day. Interesting. But he could not help himself. This child was just so... bright. And the way her father cared about and yet trusted her. Trust. That was something Loki himself had never experienced much. And most definitely not from his so-called father. Loki envied this tiny mortal. She had a relationship he would never experience.  
A little hand waving in front of his face disrupted his musings.  
"You really want to want to eat your ice cream before it melts", May's light voice advised him.  
"See?" he winked at her, "I would be completely lost without your immense wisdom and the advice you offer so freely, little Lady."  
That effectively had her laughing again.  
"You're so different from daddy. But fun. He'll love you."  
Her innocent comment nearly had him choking. Dan? Loving him? Loki was quite sure she had no idea what she was saying. If he had learned anything over the past years, then it was that nobody loved him. He was unlovable. And definitely undeserving of both love and trust.  
Loki had to shake himself out of his thoughts once again.  
He smiled at her.  
"You think so?"  
"Of course! You'd be brilliant together", her face fell a little, "and I'd finally have two parents, just like everyone else."  
Loki looked at her in surprise.  
"You do not have a mother?"  
"No", May answered silently, "mom is gone. It makes daddy uncomfortable to talk about her."  
"Well", he said, "I do not have a mother either. She died a little while ago."  
"Do you miss her?" May's eyes were wide in wonder.  
Loki had to swallow down the tears he had never allowed himself to shed when he thought about his mother.  
"Yes, little one, I do."  
"What was it like", the subject had obviously peaked her interest, "having a mom?"  
"I think she was a lot like your dad. She always had a kind word for everyone. She was the gentle and friendly voice next to my - my father's rather strict demeanour. I... she was pretty much the only person who ever showed any love to me. And she was the only one who did so until the end. Everyone else never did, I suppose."  
For a moment, she stared at his sad face, rests of ice cream forgotten.  
Then she flung herself into his lap, her arms immediately around his neck, a grip that would probably choke a human.  
He wrapped his arms around her back so she would not slip down.  
"I love you", she mumbled determinedly into his shoulder, "and daddy will too. Just you wait."  
For a moment, Loki's control slipped. He pressed her closer. As close as he could, enjoying their hug.  
Until she started to wriggle.  
"No...air", she gasped.  
Immediately he loosened his grip.  
"Forgive me."  
May just grinned.  
"Your hugs are nearly as good as daddy's."  
This time, they both laughed.  
Even more so, when Loki started tickling her sides.  
"Nonononono" she squealed through fits of laughter, but he was merciless.  
At some point he realised through his own mirth, trying to keep her on his lap, but still having both hands free to tickle the girl, that their gleeful laughing, and especially May's squealing was attracting a lot of attention. Many passers-by stared at them. A few of them smiled, but the majority frowned.  
Loki did not care. This was the most fun, and harmless too, that he had had in ages.  
When he finally stopped, after what felt like hours, they were both out of breath and May held her stomach with both hands. Also, they were probably grinning at each other like maniacs.  
No, he corrected himself, the girl was properly beaming.  
"We should probably make our way back", he said when he had caught his breath, "we do not want your dad to worry, do we, little Lady?"  
She considered his question for a moment, "No, definitely not."  
They sat on the bench for another minute, staring at each other and smiling.  
Suddenly, May jumped up and took his hand once more.  
"Let's go!"  
Loki got up with more enthusiasm than he had felt in years. The child was really rubbing off on him.  
He grabbed her hand tightly and they started going.  
As straightforward as their way to the ice cream vendor had been, as chaotic was their way back.  
The two of them had only managed to walk some hundred metres, when May looked up at Loki, grinning mischievously.  
A second later, she bumped into him sideways.  
For her benefit, he stumbled a step to the side.  
"Oi!", he said in mock annoyance.  
Then he lightly bumped her back.  
Well, he considered it lightly, but it had her stumbling some steps away.  
She laughed, slowly making her way back to him, so she could attack a second time.  
The second attack was more forceful and timed it better. Loki did not have to fake losing his balance this time.  
“Nice move, Milady”, he complimented her, grinning.  
“Thanks”, she flashed him a bright smile, then moved into his side.  
The girl caught him off guard, and it was just because he had gotten used to her that, instead of shoving her away, he automatically put an arm over her shoulder. Which surprised him of himself. He had not known he even had that kind of reflexes. He could not even count any more how often he had surprised himself today. Probably more often than in the whole millennium before. Though he could not find a reason to mind that.  
They found themselves back at the park’s entry they had met earlier. There was no sign that Darren’s meeting had finished yet.  
“What do you propose we do while we wait for your father to escape his boring work business?”  
A mischievous smile and she was up for anything. As long as it promised to be fun.  
“I wanted the ice cream”, she grinned. “It’s your turn now.”  
“Ah, I do not know. Maybe we can scare a few pedestrians, what do you think?”  
May jumped up excitedly, “how?”  
“Follow me.”  
With a wink he led her towards a broadleaved tree that stood next to the path.  
“Do you think you can conquer that tree? If you hide between the leaves, it should be easy to spook some unsuspecting adults, little Lady.”  
The girl giggled delightedly and, grabbing his hand, ran right up to said tree.  
“Can you help me get up there?” she asked, staring up the trunk.  
“It shall be my pleasure, Lady May, to be of assistance. I shall also make sure you are in no danger to fall”, he reassured her quietly.  
Putting his hands together, he motioned for her to use them as stairs. Placing one foot in them and her hands on his shoulders. Effortlessly, he lifted her up until she was able to grab the lower branches. When she had climbed safely into the tree, he stepped back.  
“Little Lady, you need to get a bit further to the left so people will be unable to see you. Do you think you can do that?”  
“Of course!”, came a chipper voice from above.  
He chuckled. This human was quite of his taste: eager to please and learn, up to mischief, and not caring about what was expected of them.  
“Just make sure you do not get yourself in danger.”  
Where had that come from? Some part of his brain seemed to dig out some very weird instincts he never thought he still had.  
“Hah!”, a giggle. “You will save me if I do.”  
He had no idea how she could be so certain. Or what he had done to have this girl trust him this much. But he found that it produced a weird, warm feeling somewhere inside him.  
“Is it better now?”, her question had him look up again. He could not see a hair of her anymore.  
“Very good. We can start now. I will seat myself on the bench here and whistle when someone arrives.”  
Another giggle was all the confirmation he needed.  
They did not have to wait long. After a short while, he saw a woman. Arrogant posture, bright red dress, a little white dog with curly hair and bows above its ears. He could smell perfume from hundreds of meters away. Perfect.  
He started whistling a fast, merry tune he had picked up somewhere, hoping May had given some thought to how she wanted to scare her victims.  
“Okay”, the girl whispered from her hiding point.  
When the woman was beneath the tree, there suddenly were whooshing sounds coming from above. Their victim looked around, searching for a source. Of course she could not find one. When the God of Mischief played his tricks, there was no evidence. And to be fair, his apprentice was doing a great job too.  
The whooshing turned into haunted whispering. The human stopped dead in her tracks, looking around wildly, as was her dog. Finally, she eyed Loki. But he did not give away anything. He pretended not to hear anything unusual at all.  
Suddenly, there was rusting leaves and weird, low whistling. Loki suppressed rising an eyebrow. This girl was good. He smiled at the woman who now really looked disturbed and took a deep breath, relaxing on the bench.  
Taking this as a hint that this man could not hear any of the strange sounds she heard, she quickly left, dragging her dog with her.  
Loki grinned. As soon as she was out of earshot, he commented, “that was very good. You really scared her.”  
“I did?”, her excited voice carried down.  
“Wait…”, suddenly there was doubt. “She is alright, no?”  
That made him chuckle, “do not worry, she deserved a little excitement for once in her posh, boring, adult life.”  
“Good!”, she was cheery again.  
“Shush now, there comes another one.”  
It was a man this time. Tall, black pictures all over his arms and lower legs. Beard, tank top, broad, fake gold chains around his neck, his appearance screamed ‘not afraid of anything’ so loud, it could only be a scheme.  
And Loki’s observation was correct. As soon as whispers came apparently out of nowhere, his eyes turned wide and he whipped his head around anxiously. When his eyes passed over Loki, he immediately hurried his steps towards the god.  
“Hey, bro”, he all but bellowed, “gonna help yo boss out n tell me what that creepy voice is?”  
Nobody spoke to him like this! Not without regretting it. Loki thought about making this puny human pay with a bit of torture, but somehow he did not feel like that. Also, there was his apprentice, who had to learn a few more things. He made a split-second decision.  
“It will be my pleasure, kind Sir”, he answered politely. “This place, the entire park, in fact, happens to be haunted.”  
The man bleached, “h-haunted?” he stuttered.  
“Indeed”, Loki was warming up to this plan. “It is haunted by the soul of a poor girl who died here centuries ago. She died running from a man who was rude to her mother. Ever since then, she has been haunting this place, targeting men who do not fit her view of ‘gentlemen’. Sadly, as time goes on, the traits she associates with politeness are getting less and less usual.”  
The longer Loki talked, the whiter the man’s face got. Now he gulped, then asked another hesitant question, “but th-then, why a-are you here?”  
Loki faked to be surprised.  
“Me? I like to keep her company. And sometimes I am able to keep her from… less desirable actions than this lovely spooking.”  
As if on clue, there was a dark chuckle and a girl’s voice whispered, “have to stop them.... They are mean to mummy.”  
Their victim stared around scared. And looked at Loki with shock and disbelief. Then he slowly backed away.  
“I…”, he stopped, obviously considering his next words carefully for once, “if you don’t mind, I will leave now. Have a good day.”  
Loki only inclined his head, then took pleasure as the man took off, all but running from them.  
After a minute, he started laughing, soon joined by May.  
“That…”, she managed between gasps, “was so funny! Your story was brilliant!”  
“Oh no, all compliments to you, dear Lady. As my spontaneous new apprentice, I have to admit you exceeded my expectations. Your quick reactions and wit will help us with a lot of mischief.”  
“Ooooooh, thank you, Luci! You are an amazing teacher!  
“This is fun, let’s keep going!”

And that they did. There came couples, people walking their dogs, bikers, even the odd person out for a walk.  
Loki had lost track of time, not that he particularly cared anyway, but they must have played ‘scaring unsuspecting passers-by’ for a good hour at least when May called him to the tree’s trunk.  
“Luci, can you help me down please? I’m tired.”  
He immediately got there. “Take a leap, I will catch you.”  
“Are you sure?”, she sounded a little wary.  
“Indeed I am. You may call it a leap of faith if that makes you feel better, Milady.”  
She giggled once more, “okay then. I’m coming down.”  
There was some rustling above him, then he saw her shoes, and a moment later, she fell into his arms.  
Loki gently sat her down. “Thanks”, she smiled and hugged him.  
Hesitantly he hugged her back, “my only desire is to be of service.”  
He felt her laugh more than hearing it. It sent a nice, foreign feeling through his body.  
“Can we sit down?”, his young companion yawned.  
“Of course”, Loki led her towards the bench, carefully seating her next to him. But May was not having any of that. As soon as he sat down, she climbed onto his lap, buried her head in the crook of his neck, and fisted her hands into his Oxford.  
Loki stiffened unconsciously, but May did not seem to notice. She just snuggled closer, relaxing against him.  
After the few moments it took him to swallow his surprise, he tentatively placed one arm around her back, securing her position. The other one carefully stroke through the girl’s hair. She sighed.  
Loki kept streaking her hair, lazily watching the people passing their seat. There were birds singing, a few butterflies swarmed around some flowers. Slowly, he let himself relax too. Lulled by the peaceful sounds and the deep breathing of the child in his arms, he closed his eyes. The sun warmed his face, he had a few wards around them – just in case – and, judging by the slow rise and fall of the body leaning against his chest, May had fallen asleep.  
Maybe, he mused, Midgard could be an enjoyable place to stay for a while. He felt like he could stay like this for decades. He had not felt as peaceful as he was with May in his lap, since… no, he would not ruin this.  
Loki tugged her closer, as if she was an amulet, a talisman that could protect him against his own dark thoughts. And it worked. The girl cuddled closer in her sleep, her tiny hand sneaking beneath his jacket, coming to rest right above his heart. He inhaled deeply. Not even the smell of human vehicles could bother him now.

Darren had been worried about his daughter when he realised the meeting had been going on for more than five hours now. He hoped the man, Loki, had brought her down to the reception and had not just left his little girl somewhere in the park.  
“Alright”, the presenter finally clapped his hands, “that is all for now. Thank you all for your time and attention, it has helped a lot. Good evening.”  
They all clapped politely, though Dan itched to run outside and find his daughter.  
As it was, he was one of the first people walking through the front doors. May had not been waiting for him inside. Hopefully she would be… no, she was not waiting outside the building. That man could not have taken her, could he? May always knew whom she could trust, even better than he himself did. Would this be the time they would pay the price for trusting his little girl’s instincts blindly? But Loki had seemed nice. Maybe a bit weird, but he had seemed genuinely friendly with May.  
Darren looked around, maybe they were somewhere. There! On that bench, close to where he had left them hours ago, was that Loki’s black jacket and blonde hair? It had to be.  
As he got closer, he realised that it was indeed Mr. Laufeyson. And in his lap, sleeping peacefully, was May. The other man’s eyes were closed too, his face incredibly vulnerable in his sleep. Darren stopped for a moment, appreciating the sight of a beautiful, definitely trustworthy man cuddling with his brilliant daughter. It looked like they had enjoyed their afternoon.  
Finally, he stepped closer. As if he was sensing it, Loki’s eyes shot open, both arms immediately pulling May even closer. An unconscious, protective reflex he would never have allowed had he been fully awake. The moment he realised it was the girl’s father who approached them, he relaxed a little, giving Darren a smile.  
“I hope your meeting was worth the time it consumed”, he whispered.  
Darren just smiled bitterly “it probably was. We won’t know until the decisions are final. I’m sorry it took this long. And thank you so much for not just abandoning her.”  
“Believe me, it was my pleasure”, Loki gently tugged a strand of hair behind May’s ear. “You have an amazing daughter.”  
“Yeah”, her father smiled fondly, “she is the best part of my life.  
“Look, is there any way I can make this up to you? I’m sure you had better things to do than babysit a girl you don’t even know.”  
The god’s smile turned sad, “I really did not. My life is rather dull these days, I am afraid.”  
Suddenly, he smirked.  
“Maybe you can buy me a drink some day?”  
For a moment, Darren looked stunned.  
“How did you…? Never mind. We can do that. Would you give me your phone number? Then we can arrange a date.”  
Loki looked at him sheepishly, “forgive me, but you will have to entrust me with yours. I do not own a cell phone just yet. There has not been a need for one until now. I will take care of it at the next opportunity and engage contact with you then.”  
“You don’t own a phone? Where do you come from? The dark ages?”  
The god would have been offended, had he not heard that it was supposed to be a joke.  
Chuckling lightly, he shifted on the bench, carefully waking up May.  
“What is it, daddy?”, she mumbled into his shirt.  
Darren laughed, “come on, Em. Time to get dinner, and then I believe your bed is calling.”  
She pouted, “do we have to?”  
“Yes, we do. Say goodbye to our new friend and then let’s go.”  
“But we will see him again, no?”, she asked, her eyes wide.  
Both men smiled at her.  
“You might.”  
“It would be my honour, little Lady.”  
Satisfied, she jumped from Loki’s lap and hugged her father.  
“It was nice to meet you”, Darren held his hand out.  
Loki shook it firmly, “it was my pleasure.” He turned towards May, giving the back of her hand a final kiss.  
“And you, Milady, lightened my day.” He stepped back.  
The girl though, did not have any of that. She crashed into his lower body once more. Loki smiled, hugging her tightly, but briefly.  
“Now, Lady May, it is time to grace your father with your presence, I believe.”  
“Bye, Luci”, she took Darren’s hand.  
“Goodbye.”  
“Bye, Loki.”

As the little family left, Loki stared after them, deep in thought. He would look forward to see them again. Surprisingly.

**Author's Note:**

> On a sidenote: I am looking for a beta-reader, mainly for Doctor Who and MCU stories, but maybe a few other fandoms as well at some point. Should you be intersted, please let me know :)


End file.
